Thanks for this question! You’re right, we can’t become spiritually advanced without a prayer. While we need to pray daily, we still don’t do it nonstop. Plus, we are often distracted during our prayer especially if it’s a long one. We pray few times during a day and sometimes at night. St. John sets aside an unceasing prayer from this kind of daily prayer and makes is the 28th step of his ladder. And the reason for this is very clear: true prayer is possible only after true repentance and when we are not distracted by our temptation. Steps 1-7: about repentance Steps 8-27: about fighting our temptations Step 28: about prayer (or unceasing prayer). This kind of prayer is impossible without true repentance and while influenced by many temptations.
why is prayer on step 28? how can we achieve steps 1-27 without prayer?
Thanks for this question! You’re right, we can’t become spiritually advanced without a prayer. While we need to pray daily, we still don’t do it nonstop. Plus, we are often distracted during our prayer especially if it’s a long one. We pray few times during a day and sometimes at night. St. John sets aside an unceasing prayer from this kind of daily prayer and makes is the 28th step of his ladder. And the reason for this is very clear: true prayer is possible only after true repentance and when we are not distracted by our temptation.
Steps 1-7: about repentance
Steps 8-27: about fighting our temptations
Step 28: about prayer (or unceasing prayer). This kind of prayer is impossible without true repentance and while influenced by many temptations.
@@OrthodoxTalks thank you very much for your reply - now it makes much more sense. God Bless.